Melbourne pro-Palestine protest as it happened: Four arrested during protest as war in Middle East intensifies

Thousands of protesters are in force in Melbourne, calling for a free Palestine.

See the photos below:

Thank you for joining our live blog, as reporters on the ground covered the pro-Palestine protest and vigils for hostages in Gaza across Melbourne.

Here’s a look back at what happened today:

• More than 7000 protesters gathered in the streets, with four arrests, Victoria Police confirmed. But the force said they were largely happy with the behaviour of the crowd.
• At Southbank in Melbourne, a vigil was held to commemorate the hostages still being held in Gaza after the October 7 attacks, which marks one year tomorrow. Victorian deputy Liberal leader David Southwick spoke to the crowd.
• Some protesters at the pro-Palestine demonstration were seen waving a flag showing the Iranian leader, who praised his country’s recent missile attack on Israel. Plain yellow and green flags, colours associated with Hezbollah, were also seen at the rally.
• Former prime minister Scott Morrison has endorsed a warning from Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about a threat to civilisation from Iran and its allies.

• Victorian premier Jacinta Allan said any similar activities planned for tomorrow, which marks the first anniversary of Hamas’ attack on Israel, were “utterly unacceptable”.

That’s it from us, hope you have a pleasant evening.

Turning to NSW, where the state’s police force has praised protesters for the largely peaceful pro-Palestine rally in the city today.

Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna said about 10,000 people turned up to Sydney’s Hyde Park to protest.

“I did say before the operation that we wouldn’t tolerate criminal offending and social behaviour and I think that message got through,” he said.

A pro-Palestine protest at Hyde Park in Sydney on Sunday. Police made one arrest at the rally, but praised the conduct of demonstrators.Credit: Janie Barrett

There was one arrest – a 56-year-old man, who displayed a Nazi swastika on an Israeli flag. He will be charged shortly, McKenna said.

McKenna said that legal advice provided to the NSW Police indicated that protesters who held flags in Hezbollah colours would not meet the threshold for facing criminal charges.

Four people were at arrested for public order related offences at today’s protest, according to Victoria Police.

In a statement, the police said at least 7,000 people attended the demonstration and there were no major issues of note reported.

“However, four people were arrested for public order related matters,” a Victoria Police spokeswoman said.

“Overall, police were pleased with the behaviour of attendees.”

Victoria Police also confirmed there were no displays of prohibited symbols at today’s event, but police would still review vision and CCTV from the day.

While there has been one arrest in Sydney, police officers interviewed at the scene of Melbourne’s protest said there were no major incidents during today’s rally despite thousands descending on the CBD.

Instead, officers said today’s protest had been the “same as the last 12 months”.

This morning, the state’s police force said it rostered on enough police for the demonstration.

Protesters marched through Melbourne’s CBD to Finders Street to call for a free Palestine.Credit: Wayne Taylor

“Our top priority will be keeping the peace and ensuring the safety of those attending and the broader community,” a spokeswoman said.

We have also been waiting on an official police response about the estimated number of protesters in the city, crowd behaviour and if they will be making reports about rally-goers holding prohibited symbols.

And in Sydney, at least one person has been arrested by NSW Police during the pro-Palestine rally today.

Police confirmed a person was arrested for carrying an Israeli flag which included a Nazi swastika, rather than a Star of David.

It is an offence to display Nazi symbols in NSW.

The offence carries a maximum penalty of 12 months imprisonment or an $11,000 fine.

Protesters at the Melbourne rally have been spotted with a flag showing the current Iranian leader who praised his country’s missile attack on Israel.

They were also seen flying plain yellow and green flags, colours associated with Hezbollah.

However, the majority of the tens-of-thousands of rally-goers complied with organisers requests, and used the Lebanese and Palestinian flags.

Iraqi man Ahmad, who did not want his second name used, was asked about the yellow flag and said they were the colours of Islam.

“Yellow and green is the colour of Islam ... and the colours of peace,” Ahmad explains.

But another man interjected and said it was for the Socceroos.

Protesters wave flags and banners with images of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Ruhollah Khomeini, Iran’s first supreme leader.Credit: Getty

When asked whether the flags were an attempt to get around the controversy of using the Hezbollah flag, he said: “They make the laws, and we haven’t broken any.”

He was also with a group flying a flag with the images of Iran’s current supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Ruhollah Khomeini, who established Iran as an Islamic republic.

Another man, who said he was an Iranian refugee, came over to Ahmed and his friends, pointed to the flag bearing the images of the men, saying: “They are not representing Iran.”

Protest organiser Nasser Mashni said before the protest, the use of Hezbollah flags the previous week was an “unnecessary distraction”.Credit: Wayne Taylor

He was an Iranian refugee who didn’t agree with their leadership, or the stance of Ahmad and his friends.

Ahmad told him: “That’s ok, they’re representing us.”

Another man in the crowd was spotted carrying an image of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

The organiser of a vigil at Melbourne’s Southbank to commemorate hostages who were still held in Gaza, says the location is symbolic.

Joel Kuper explained the Southbank location of the vigil was held at one end of the Sandridge Bridge.

“We are at one end of the immigration bridge. It symbolises what Australia stands for but also that we are not safe to cross that bridge. We are on the outside.”

Friends Susie Davis (left) and Shelley Kaplan (right) attending the vigil in Southbank on Sunday.Credit: Bridie Smith

He said while the focus of the vigil was on the more than 100 hostages still being held in Gaza, there was also a desire to normalise the gathering of Jewish Australians in Melbourne.

“We have been in hiding. It’s been a year, and we want to come out now.”

Friends Susie Davis and Shelley Kaplan came to the vigil because they wanted to connect and to have a presence in the city.

“We had felt that we had to do everything in Caulfield but we don’t and that’s why we wanted to come to the city,” Kaplan said.

“It’s saying ‘yes, it’s safe for us’.”

Davis, who attended her first rally with her parents in the 1970s, said she gained a sense of solidarity, support and strength.

Both said returning the Israeli hostages held in Gaza was their main motivation for joining the vigil.

Protesters in Melbourne and Sydney have been seeing flying yellow-and-green flags, the colours associated with Hezbollah.

In Melbourne, people are waving yellow flags next to green ones after organisers said people waving the Hezbollah flag would be an “unnecessary distraction”.

Yellow-and-green flags are being waved at a pro-Palestine rally in Melbourne, the colours associated with Hezbollah.Credit: Wayne Taylor

But in Sydney, police checked one protester’s flag, which showed a green image of what appears to be Ned Kelly holding a rifle on a yellow background.

Police checking flags that appear similar to the Hezbollah one during a pro-Palestine rally in Sydney.Credit: AAP

That flag reads “our boys in green and gold will win”.

Protesters in NSW were warned to refrain from displaying the Hezbollah flag, as well as any images of slain leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Melbourne local Hanady, who is Lebanese-Palestinian, flies the Lebanese flag as she walks down Swanston Street towards Flinders Street.

She says there are many points of view within Lebanon about Hezbollah, but she is here “for my country and my people”.

Lebanese-Palestinian woman Hanady.Credit: Charlotte Grieve

“I’m not here for any institution or body. I’m here for the citizens.”

Hanady, who did not want to share her surname, was disappointed with mainstream media coverage this time of year which she said focused heavily on Israeli suffering.

“The [taking of] Israeli hostages is clearly huge. But on the other side, we’re talking about constant invasions by Israel at the Lebanese border. This is more than one year, it’s decades long. That’s why I’m here.”

She was also critical of mainstream media coverage depicting Lebanese Australians as “terrorists”.

“Is it fair? No. But I feel like we’re on the brink of something that will make it fairer in the future? Yes. We’re not going away.”

Melbourne resident Kathryn Renowden said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton were “playing politics with peoples’ lives” after the bipartisan condemnation of protests held this weekend.

“I feel like they’re more concerned about flags than the massacre of women, children and men. Focusing on that is disingenuous and dishonest.”

She believes there will be backlash against the major political parties, and Albanese, for his stance on the war over the past year.

Melbourne resident Kathryn Renowden raises her sign at the rally.Credit: Charlotte Grieve

“I do think there will be backlash. He’s alienated so many people and he doesn’t represent the huge portion of the population. I think this will be his undoing.”

Another protester, Erin Tsubono says she attended the protest because she cared about justice and was against colonisation.

“It’s simple. I’m a mother. I want my daughter to know I’m here for anything against humanity, for the good cause,” Tsubono says, standing in a gridlocked Swanston Street.

Some at the rally did not want to be publicly identified, either fearing backlash from employers or from people online.

Earlier, Jewish Council of Australia member Ohad Kozminsky told the crowd there was “no justification” for “criminal human rights breaches” of Palestinians.

He said Israel’s actions had been “shielded shamefully by weaponised charges of antisemitism” and called for a return to “core Jewish principles” of love and equality.

Some protesters did not want to be identified, fearing backlash from employers or from online trolls.Credit: Charlotte Grieve

“We’re currently in the Jewish new year period. We’re meant to be repenting,” he said.

Kozminsky called for state and federal governments take action for “justice and dignity”.

“I have been attending these rallies for a year now. Together, we have called for a ceasefire, an end to occupation, and end to ethnic cleansing, an end to genocide, and we have called for a free Palestine.

He said it was a simple call for human rights to be upheld without exception.

“Human rights are only realised if they are applied ... without exception.”